The Dallas Cowboys get an Indianapolis Colts team with real holes on both sides of the ball. And at 3-5, Dallas has given fans every reason to doubt the numbers.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated Friday morning a lot of personnel decisions would be made based on how the final practice of the week went. Fast forward to the release of the injury report, and things appeared to have gone pretty great.
From a banged up George Pickens to an on-and-off Joey Porter Jr., and a couple of safeties whose statuses were up in the air, below are all injury updates ahead of the Cowboys' Week 9 matchup versus the Indianapolis Colts.
Both Downs and Locke entered the concussion protocol following the loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Fortunately, that won't keep them out for Sunday's game. Though Downs' numbers haven't been great, he's done a lot of heavy lifting on the Cowboys defense.
Missing Downs would have been very costly, as the Cowboys haven't found good nickel play outside of the first-round rookie. Earlier this season, practice squad player Reddy Steward struggled in that role and it was costly for the defense.
On top of that, for Downs, this is not just any other game. He will face his brother, Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, and will likely match up against him often. Josh plays mostly out of the slot, while Caleb has lined up at nickel the most during his first eight games in the NFL.
This will be a true brother vs. brother matchup that fans and cameras will be following very closely at Lucas Oil Stadium next Sunday.
As for Locke, expect him to start at safety alongside Malik Hooker.
Despite the good news at safety, the Cowboys have a lot to worry about going into Sunday. The following Cowboys were ruled as questionable:
WR George Pickens
CB Joey Porter Jr.
TE Jake Ferguson
LB DeMarvion Overshown
TE Luke Schoonmaker
Those are all pretty big names to be in question, particularly Pickens and Porter Jr. The Cowboys admitted this week Pickens' health is the main reason why his snaps have taken a hit. Meanwhile, Porter Jr. has yet to play a full game with the Cowboys as he nurses an ankle injury.
Dallas could make a decision based on the long-term and sit Porter Jr. for gameday, but that would leave a significant hole at cornerback, where the defense lacks quality depth.
As for Ferguson and Schoonmaker, their availaibility will signfiicantly affect the Cowboys' personnnel usage. Dallas has insisted on multiple tight end sets to get the run game going. If both of them miss the game, it might be wise to stay in 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, three WR).
If LB DeMarvion Overshown can't go, at least the Cowboys are getting Dee Winters back, who carries no game designation for this one.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Dallas Cowboys escape potential nightmare ahead of Week 9, and it should lead to some healthy family drama
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